Indian Influences In The United States (1964)

[Music] When they first came upon the shores of North America, European explorers and colonists found a primitive land. But to them, the land held great promise for settlement. Yet centuries before the Europeans had planted their colonies in the New World, the land had been loved and cherished by numerous tribes of American Indians. From these Native Americans, the Europeans learned many things. In the east, they were taught how to hunt the animals of the forest by the Irakquoy, the Mohakin, and the Ponobskot. In the west, they were taught how to hunt the creatures of the prairie, by the tribes of the Ojiway, the Dakota, the Sock, and the Fox. The Europeans followed trails that had been blazed across the wilderness by the tribes of the Massachusetts, the Cherokee, and the Naraganset. They traveled and fished the lakes, rivers, and streams explored by the Monomony, the Kikapoo, and the Kaunga. The Indians helped to acquaint the white men with the resources of their new country. In what is now the United States, regions were inhabited by groups of Indian tribes. the northern fishermen, the seed gatherers, the nomads, the village dwellers, the hunters of the plains, and the Indians of the eastern woodlands. Much later, the names of their chiefs became wellknown. Chief bow and quiver of the Comanches. He who puts out and kills of the chuckaw, blackhawk of the sock and the fox, and onehorn of the sue. These men were respected and honored among their peoples and are still remembered today. But today, where the Indian once hunted, where he once made his home and built his civilization, we have established the present- day civilization of the United States. Yet in our modern everyday lives, we carry on much of our Indian heritage. This heritage influences the places where we live. Many of our home addresses include streets named after such great and powerful Indian chiefs as Pontiac and Blackhawk. Many of our towns and cities stand on the sites of what were once Indian settlements. Chicago or the place of the wild onion, man or the island, Milwaukee or the good lands. The Indians of course knew little about cities. They lived close to nature. They knew the features of the land and gave them Indian names. The Indians named many rivers. This is the mighty Mississippi, the father of waters. The Indians named the lakes whose waters they traveled. This is Lake Michigan, the great water. Some of our mountain chains bear Indian names. These are the Appalachian Mountains, named for the Appalache Indians, the people on the other side. Though the Appalaches maintained permanent settlements, many tribes wandered from place to place along footpaths in search of new hunting grounds. In time, Indian trails became the basis for roads, such as this one in Illinois. It still bears the name of the tribe that blazed the trail, the Sock. Even many of our present-day superighways follow practically mile for mile parts of trails originally blazed by the Indians. Here are just a few of the many highways which follow parts of Indian trails. More than half of the states of continental United States are named after Indian words. Another way in which Indian languages have enriched our own. The state name Kentucky for example comes from the wand dot Indian word canaten the land of tomorrow. The state name Minnesota comes from two sue Indian words meaning skycolored water. Ohio is a name taken from an Iricquay Indian word meaning great land. Today this great land has changed. We have tamed it and cultivated it. But many of our crops were first discovered and grown by the Indian. Pumpkins are among these crops as are squash, peanuts, tomatoes, strawberries, sweet potatoes, limema beans, and kidney beans. We learned of all these crops from the Indians. Corn was perhaps the most important food crop which the Indians introduced to the European colonists. Today's corn is only a distant cousin of the colorful maze plant which the Indians cultivated. Still corn is one of the major Indian influences in the United States. Cotton is another crop which was cultivated by the Indians. Cotton was used by the Indians as we use it today as a staple in making clothing. Much of our clothing is made from the same varieties of cotton as were cultivated by the Indians. Though our styles are much different from those of the Indians, we still wear some items of Indian clothing. The Indian moccasin, for example, is a comfortable, easily slipped on shoe. Another kind of Indian footwear we have borrowed is snowshoes. This type of shoe is worn mainly by hunters and trappers. Another item of Indian clothing worn today by hunters and since the early days of our country's history is the buckskin shirt. It was during those early days that many settlers made their first contact with the Indians. Much has been written about this period of history. Indian characters play a large role in our American literature. in the adventurous novels of James Fenomore Cooper, Kenneth Roberts, Emerson Huff, and Oliver Lafarge. In these books, we find Indian words and names that are now a part of our language. Names of trees, sequoia, pecan, and hickory. The Indians named creatures of the forest, the raccoon and the chipmunk. We have taken into our language such Indian words as tepee meaning a kind of tent, papoose meaning a young infant, squa which means woman, suatach meaning a dish of limema beans mixed with corn. Tomahawk meaning a hatchet-like weapon and pow-wow which means conference. These are just a few of the Indian words we have added to our language. This painting of a powow is an example of another Indian influence. The influence on American art. Artists were greatly attracted to the rough and ready yet dignified lives of the Indian tribes. These artists painted every aspect of Indian life. Here in this famous painting, the rough and tumble game of lacrosse is played. This fast-moving game is still played in some sections of our country. Skill, stamina, and a hard head are required for this game. In this painting, we see a traditional tribal dance. [Music] The rhythmic accompiment for such dances have influenced much of our American symphonic and popular music. Indian influences upon art continue to the present day. In shops and galleries, modern Indian art may be seen. pottery decorated in a wide variety of traditional geometric designs. Designs that are also found in handwoven baskets. Beautifully fashioned jewelry is another leading Indian art. The work of talented artists is seen in the blazing colors and intriguing designs of Indian textiles. Here, for example, is a blanket with an intricate religious figure. The contributions of Indian art are only one of many Indian influences in our society today. Some Indians continue to practice their traditional skills in our modern world. Other Indian influences continue as well in the foods we eat, the roads we travel, the language we speak. and the locations of our cities and towns. Though we have brought many changes to their land, the influences of the Indian continue as a living part of our American heritage. [Music]